Ordinary World
by slythadri
Summary: EWE. Harry is lonely. And there is a song that keeps reminding him of it. He's tried to move on, but he is stuck. Maybe he will find an answer. maybe he will bump into that answer. Hansy, Dramione.
1. Chapter 1

AN: this story came to me listening to my 80s playlist. Music is by Duran Duran. Thank you guys for writing such an amazing song. Songwriters: John Taylor / Nick Rhodes / Simon Le Bon / Warren Cuccurullo.

* * *

_Came in from a rainy Thursday on the avenue_

_Thought I heard you talking softly_

_I turned on the lights, the TV, and the radio_

_Still I can't escape the ghost of you_

_What has happened to it all?_

_Crazy, some'd say_

_Where is the life that I recognize?_

_Gone away_

How ironic that was the exact song that was playing on Harry's iPod on a rainy Thursday when he had just got soaked because he went out for a beer with his cousin Dudley in Muggle London so he couldn't apparate out of the rain.

The cousins had made up a couple of years after the war, and the former bully had decided he wanted to know everything about being a wizard. He even confessed to Harry that he hoped his children, whenever they came along, would have magic in them. So the cousins grabbed a few drinks at least once a month. That had turned out to be a good idea in general; Dudley was hungry for stories and Harry had someone to let it all out with. At least when it was about the war and other minutiae of daily life at the ministry. And last month Dudley had given Harry an iPod for his birthday, already loaded with songs that Harry remembered hearing on the radio growing up. Many of them he remembered humming while doing chores and he remembered getting so enthralled by them that he would forget where he was. So he really liked the gift, except that there were a few songs that reminded him too much of his current reality: he was lonely.

After the war, Harry had devoted his body and soul into two things: Auror training and Ginny Weasley. Auror training because he was good at it and because he wanted to keep the wizarding world safe. And Ginny because he loved her very much. And she loved him too, passionately. But after Ginny finished Hogwarts, reality hit them. Harry wanted to get married and have children as soon as possible. Ginny wanted a career. She was an outstanding quidditch player and by graduation, she already had an offer from the Harpies. She loved Harry, but she didn't want to become Molly: she didn't want a house full of children, not yet. She wanted to travel, to succeed, to be someone more than the shadow of the Chosen One.

_Passion or coincidence_

_Once prompted you to say_

_"Pride will tear us both apart"_

And just as the song said, pride had torn them apart. Truthfully, it was his fault: he was sure that if he gave her a little push into the domestic life she would let go and surrender to it. And they would be deliriously happy. So one night after making love he tried to distract her, hoping that she would forget the contraceptive charm. After a few minutes of playfulness, she reached for her wand and he tried to hide it. That's when all hell broke loose. She saw right through his intentions and instead of getting angry or yelling at him, she broke into sobs.

"I am sorry, Harry. I am so sorry. But I can't give you what you want. I don't want to have children right now. I would be miserable. And I can't do that to you."

_Well now pride's gone out the window_

_Cross the rooftops_

_Runaway_

_Left me in the vacuum of my heart_

_What is happening to me?_

_Crazy, some'd say_

_Where is my friend when I need you most?_

_Gone away_

That had been over a year ago. They were happy for a while, for one year when she was still at Hogwarts and then stayed together for two more after that. And while he felt more and more settled and wanted to have deeper roots, she wanted wings, more with each passing day, with each victory on the pitch, with each tournament won. She was a star on her own right now. And Harry was happy for her, he really was. They were friends, at least they were trying to be.

_But I won't cry for yesterday_

_There's an ordinary world_

_Somehow I have to find_

_And as I try to make my way_

_To the ordinary world_

_I will learn to survive_

That night, when Harry got to 12 Grimmauld Place he flopped on the bed with his clothes still on and fell asleep, grateful that the alcohol was not letting him think too much.

_Papers in the roadside_

_Tell of suffering and greed_

_Fear today, forgot tomorrow_

_Ooh, here besides the news_

_Of holy war and holy need_

_Ours is just a little sorrowed talk_

The song was playing again on his iPod when he picked up a copy of the Prophet before going into work. It really was as if the song was a reflection of his life. His was just a small sorrow next to the needs of all those who were still affected by the aftermath of the war. Gryffindor that he was, he refused to accept that he had a right to his pain and his sadness.

After a bland day at work, he took the lift back to the lobby and walked inside distracted, looking at the iPod playlist, searching for the song. It was becoming an obsession. So in his absorbed state, he didn't notice that someone else was already in and he walked right into her.

"Ooof!" was the sound the woman made and then the scene seemed to happen in slow motion. She wabbled on her stilettos and began to fall. Harry, whose seeker reflexes had doubled after auror training, put one arm under her back and the other hand behind her neck, and for a few seconds, they were both suspended as in halfway going for a movie kiss. She lifted her eyes to see who the man was while saying

"Thank you...Potter?"

"Parkinson?"

"Please don't let me fall!" she said, a hint of anguish in her voice

"What?" he asked, confused by the moment, as he helped her stand up. She still had her hands on his shoulders and he still had one hand on the small of her back and one on the nape of her neck.

"I mean, if I were you I would let me fall flat on my arse, you know, after everything I did to you," she said, slowly sliding her hands down his chest while trying to take a step back, when suddenly the lift halted roughly and this time they both ended up falling, but he had half a second to say

"Arresto momentum"

That gave him enough time to not fall flat on top of her, instead, she landed softly while he hovered on top of her for a second before planting his hands and knees on the floor around her. They looked at each other, both still feeling shaken and confused when a voice said

"The Ministry Maintenance Department offers you apologies for this inconvenience. Please do not try to fix or move the lift, as it is a complex magical object and it must be repaired only by the Ministry Maintenance Personnel. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

Harry looked down again and his mind went to remember that it had been a very long time since he had looked at a woman from this vantage point. And it was undeniable that this particular woman was beautiful. She looked so different. She seemed...softer. There was no scowling, no frowning, just a soft, open expression on her face, and he moved his gaze between her dark eyes and her plump lips a couple of times before she said

"Hum, Potter?"

"Oh, yes, please, let me help you," he said sitting up and helping her sit up.

"Thank you," she said, and she sat side saddled on the floor next to him. They will be there for a while, so no point in standing up. Then she tried again: "Potter, I just want to say, I'm sorry. For everything. I have no excuses, I just…"

But he had lifted a finger and touch it to her lips.

"No need. We were children. And it's over now. We have moved on. Or at least, we try to move on."

She looked down at the finger on her lips and then at him, so he realized what he had done and quickly pull it off, then tried to fix the awkward moment.

"So, what brings you to the Ministry today?"

She smiled

"Business Permit. I came back from New York a few months ago. I went there for fashion design school, but then I saw a concept that I thought was wonderful: some companies there sell items of clothing or shoes and for each item sold they donate one to people in need. And we have a lot of children in need here, the orphans of the war. So I opened a design studio where I make mostly high-end children's clothing and for each outfit sold I make and donate another one to the orphanage. I plan to keep providing the children with everyday clothes until they are out of Hogwarts."

"Wow," said Harry, looking really impressed, "that is amazing."

She blushed and lowered her gaze

"I just want to make up a bit for the mistakes of my past. And I do love children."

"You do?" Said Harry, now feeling quite curious.

"Yeah, I do. All the time when we were at Hogwarts I thought I was going to marry Draco right out of school and have three children right away," she said, laughing "even after we broke up fifth year I kept thinking it would happen. Well, that all went to hell with the war, and of course neither of us is married, although we are still best friends. That is partly why I left for New York because I realized I needed a new plan. So for now, I will take care of some of the needs of other children as much as I can until I get to have my own. Hopefully, someday it will happen."

Wow. Harry was stunned. This woman had nothing to do with pug face Parkinson, the nasty girl that had exchange insults and hexes with him and his friends all through school. But then again, lots of changes had happened after the war. Draco Malfoy was actually one of his quidditch buddies now, and they were becoming quite close, although they both denied it when asked. They called a 'friendly rivalry,' but the truth was they were plain friends. At that moment the voice from the lift spoke again

"Thank you for your patience. You will now be taken to your destination. Have a good night."

Harry stood up and offered Pansy his hand, which she took with another sweet smile. He decided this had been a nice moment and there was no need for it to end.

"Are you hungry?"

She laughed

"Yes. I would love to have dinner, if that is what you are asking, Potter."

"Harry."

She nodded, smiling wide

"Harry."


	2. Chapter 2

"You have your shitface on, Malfoy. Can I help you with anything?" said Harry, looking at the platinum blonde man who had entered his office as if he owned it and sat in front of his desk with a malicious grin on his face. The blonde spoke with a high-pitch voice and batted his eyelashes

"And then he stopped me from falling with an arresto momentum, it was so fast, and then he was hovering over me, did you ever noticed that his eyes are very, very green? He's so dreamy"

"She said that? She called me dreamy?" asked Harry, big puppy eyes now looking at Draco expectantly

"Ha! I knew it! No, she didn't call you dreamy, she only made the eyes comment. But you do want her to call you dreamy, don't you Potter?" said Draco wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Harry looked like he wanted to Avada the blonde, but he was too curious to know what else had Pansy said, so he tried a bit of nonchalance, of course failing miserably.

"So, in all seriousness, what did she said?"

Draco decided to throw him a bone

"She's a Slytherin, so she didn't say anything up front. She was trying very hard to just tell the story casually, but I haven't seen her look so nervous since Fourth year when I asked her to the Yule Ball. And the eyes comment… that's Slytherin for 'I think this guy is the hottest thing I've ever seen."

"Really?"

"Jeez Potter, can you at least pretend not to be pining here?" said the blonde in between cackles, "I don't know who is doing the worst job, she or you."

"Can you please not be a dungbomb right now, Malfoy? Please?" Truth was that Harry hadn't been this excited in a very long time. He and Pansy had a lovely dinner and it took all of his restraint to just walk her to a floo and not ask her to go home with him that night. And then she had been gone for the weekend to some friend's wedding back in New York, so he was impatient and jealous. Her portkey back was supposed to arrive in a couple of hours and he couldn't wait. He wanted to take her out for dinner again but she may be too tired by the time she arrived. So Harry was a nervous wreck right now.

"Potter, Potter, Potter, you hurt my feelings," said the blonde, hand to his heart. "In all seriousness though, I want you to know that most of her awful behaviors back in school were because of me and my constant whining and egging. On her own, she would probably have been at least indifferent, though definitely snobbish. So I think is great that you are giving her a chance."

"Wow, thanks, Malfoy. I knew you were newly adept to being humble but this is a cherry on top of the cake," said Harry, now grinning maliciously.

"Don't overdo it, Potter. I'm doing this for her, not for you. She is my best friend. She was there for me when everyone else was repulsed or scared."

Harry nodded, now acting seriously

"I can see that. And I think it speaks of her loyalty."

"Yes. And that is why now I must threaten you, Potter: if she becomes loyal to you she would do anything and everything. And if you take advantage or hurt her I will hex your balls off."

"Noted. I am quite attached to my balls, so I will be careful. You have my word."

"Great," said Draco, standing up and walking to the door, then turning around, one arm on the door frame, tall and nowadays broad shouldered he covered almost all of the entrance to the office "one more thing. She is a pureblood, so whatever this is she will want answers fast. Are you sure you are up for it?"

Harry smiled. He certainly was.

"I'm sure."

At that moment the sound of a female throat clearing made Draco turn his head, though he stayed in place.

"Hello, Malfoy. Do you mind? I need a word with Harry."

"Granger. Of course. Please don't let me stop you," he said, still not moving.

"You are literally stopping me," she said gesturing toward his body."

He smirked and gestured towards the small space under his arm

"I'm sure you can fit right through, Granger."

She rolled her eyes and slid herself through the narrow space, rubbing against him, making his smirk bigger.

"I would leave you to your business now. Potter, I have my eye on you. Granger, always a pleasure."

Hermione rolled her eyes when Draco closed the door and said

"One of these days, someone is going to file a complaint of sexual harassment against him, we'll see how funny he thinks he is then."

Harry laughed

"No one is going to file a complaint because he doesn't act like that with anyone else." then he lifted an eyebrow and asked, "are you going to file a complaint?"

"What? But I thought he was…"

"A womanizer? No, he is not. He is actually a pretty serious guy because of his money. He is wary of the gold diggers. And of the Death eater fans."

"So why is he always doing those things to me?" she asked, faking disgust. She was finally putting two and two together and she was nervous to see how much she liked the idea.

"Maybe he wants you to put him in a body binding spell, slap him and tell him what a bad boy he is," said Harry, malice dripping in his voice.

"Harry! That is preposterous!"

"Is it?" he said, wiggling his eyebrows. He had been looking for a weakness in Malfoy's facade, and now he found it. The git had the hots for Hermione. Oh, this was rich. As friendly as they were now, Harry and Draco always looked for something to hang over the other's head. The bitter rivalry had transformed into a constant show of smartassery. And Malfoy was for sure gonna mock him endlessly about his infatuation with Pansy, who was his best friend, so he knew things about her that Harry couldn't even imagine. But now, Draco had blinked and his weakness got exposed: the blonde was in love with his own best friend. And that meant asking Harry for help. If Hermione wouldn't have been sitting in front of him, he would have let out an evil laugh.

Two hours later Harry was standing at the international portkey arrivals office, trying not to pace. As Deputy Chief of the Auror department, he could have set a portkey for her to arrive directly at her house and act as Ministry official to check her entrance into the country, but that might have been presumptuous, to assume that she would want him in the intimacy of her flat after only one date. So he was now trying to keep his cool in front of Dennis Creevy, the customs official on duty, who was still a bit of a fanboy and kept making small talk with The Chosen One. Harry did his best to keep up with the fast talker, but his head was constantly bobbing towards the apparition point. Then helpful Dennis looked at his watch and said

"Thirty seconds, Harry. Your lady is almost here."

Oh great. He had made a shit job at keeping his cool and by lunch tomorrow the whole Ministry will know that he had a crush on Pansy Parkinson. He didn't have time to dwell on it though. With a blue light, the lady in question arrived and gave him a big smile, made a beeline and hugged him. Harry felt a rush of relief and happiness at the gesture. They looked at each other and both seemed to be ready for a kiss when Dennis greeted

"Welcome back, Miss Parkinson. May I see your passport, please?" said the cheery customs official.

Pansy composed herself and managed to smile to Dennis, even though the former mean girl would have loved to slap the back of his head and shoo him away so she could grab Harry by the collar and snog him senseless. They went quickly through her documents and she kept up her smile until they could walk out of the office, Dennis waving goodbye enthusiastically. Once out on the hallway, she said

"Harry, I'm exhausted, I want to go home"

Harry felt his heart drop to his belly. He managed to smile and nod but then she said

"Do you have a muggle phone? I haven't got one yet and we should order take out. There is nothing in my flat except perhaps wine."

Harry's heart blew like a balloon, and with a giant grin he pulled out his mobile phone.

"What do you want?"

She laughed

"Thai. I have some of those menus they throw under your door, let's go so we can find the number," then she grabbed his hand and without another word side-apparated them to her flat.

It was a loft with a magnificent view of the London skyline, and while Harry made the call she poured them some great wine.

They clinked glasses and had a sip, then Harry's composure broke down. He took both glasses and levitated them away, then pulled her close and cupped her face in his hands. He kissed her deeply and she answered in kind. It had been a long weekend. She had been very excited to go back to New York, but then attending the wedding had stirred longings that she thought she had left behind in her Hogwarts days. She was part of the bridal party so she had been paired with one of the groomsmen, and while she walked down the aisle with her arm laced with the blonde American wizard, her mind kept wishing it was a dark-haired, green-eyed man that was back in London. By Sunday at brunch with her friends from design school, she was desperate to go back but also wondered if Harry had even spared a thought on her. She even got anxious thinking that he may have started to have flashbacks of their past interactions and might be having second thoughts. She knew she had fretted for no reason when she found him waiting for her at the portkey office, and now this deep, delicious kiss was all the confirmation she needed to know they were on the same page.

Things escalated quickly and soon enough they were on the couch, kissing wildly, entangled around each other. In the heat of the moment, they didn't notice that with all the rubbing and clutching Harry's iPod started playing, and the sound system in Pansy's loft magically synced to it, so a song that matched the moment started playing in the background

_Dark in the city night is a wire,_

_Steam in the subway earth is afire,_

_(Do do do do do do do dodo)_

_Woman, you want me, give me a sign_

_And catch my breathing even closer behind_

The music invaded what was left of their senses. Pansy felt her pureblood restraint fly out the window and she went for Harry's shirt buttons. His Gryffindor gallantry vanished right there and he let himself fall down the rabbit hole, encouraged by the suggestive lyrics

_In touch with the ground_

_I'm on the hunt down after you_

_Scent and a sound_

_I'm lost and I'm found_

_And I'm hungry like the wolf_

* * *

AN: Songwriters: George Taylor, Richard David, James Heacock. _Hungry Like the Wolf, _Performed by Duran Duran.


	3. Chapter 3

Things moved very fast between Harry and Pansy. They were both fiercely loyal people, so once their hearts felt the connection, neither of them was interested in anyone else. Harry, of course, was the chosen one, and when word got out that he was single and available the flood of witches trying to nail him down was scary. From flirtation to love potions, he had to recruit the help of his secretary, ninety-year-old Mrs. Potts, and of Hermione Granger to act as barriers to keep the craziness at bay. In fact, the few times he went on a date during the year of his singlehood it usually went south quite fast because he would either have some witch bluntly interrupt the date or an owl would arrive with a howler for the girl he was with. It was quite annoying. But Pansy didn't mind. She had been the undisputed Ice Queen of the Slytherin dungeons for years, so hate mail or tricks to her boyfriend didn't make her sweat. Harry knew he was in love with her one morning when they were having coffee and reading the paper in her flat and an owl flew by and dropped a howler that hovered in front of her. Without putting down the paper she performed a wandless spell and the thing burst into flames with a small explosion. She picked up her cup and had another sip, unfazed. He almost proposed right then and there.

Pansy also received marriage offers almost weekly from all over the world, a pureblood witch was still a very coveted asset. But she hated that now. After spending her childhood dreaming about becoming a trophy wife, her years in New York had shown her that she was more than capable to take care of herself and she liked it. But lately, she didn't mind the hint of jealousy in Harry's voice every time he would come by and find yet another thick document offering her piles of gold as dowry. So they devoted themselves to each other without overthinking it. Little they knew that soon there will be a good reason for them to do so.

Three months after their first date, Pansy went to the orphanage to deliver some outfits, feeling strangely giddy. The main caregiver smiled widely when she saw her come in.

"Miss Parkinson, how good to see you. I have a feeling that you do not only come here to deliver the clothes, am I right?"

Pansy smiled "Can I see him please?"

A month ago when Pansy came to the orphanage for the first time to deliver clothes she got to meet the children. Most of them were older, thankfully close to their Hogwarts age. However, there was an unusual case: a baby, eight months old when she met him. The caregiver told her his sad story.

"His mother got hit by a curse during the final battle. Even after a few years had passed it was the reason she died during childbirth. The father had contracted dragonpox while she was pregnant so he had to stay away and we think he passed also."

Pansy's eyes had filled with tears, feelings of shame and deep sadness stirring inside of her. She reached for the baby and he went to her immediately, leaning on her shoulder and falling deep asleep. After that episode, she went to the orphanage almost every day. Instead of preparing a set of outfits and bringing them once a week or so, she would bring them almost one by one, an excuse to get close to the little boy. And today, after a few weeks of this behavior, something else happened

"Oh, my," said the caregiver, "I think we have a situation here," she said, looking very nervous.

"What?" asked Pansy, holding the baby to her chest and feeling suddenly very protective of him.

The caregiver took a deep breath

"James seems to have a special ability. It is something between legillimancy and divination: we think that he can read peoples' emotions and predict the relationship that they will have with him. It helps him create bonds. We believe he forms magical bonds as if he is trying to build a family for himself."

At that moment James smiled widely and reached to touch Pansy's cheek. A blue glow seemed to come from his hand to her face and he said "Ma!"

The caregiver looked like she was going to faint, but Pansy felt a flood of emotions run through her body: attachment, protectiveness, love. This was her child and she was not going to let go. She looked at the woman, tears now rolling down her cheeks

"Tell me what I need to do to take him with me. I am not leaving him here anymore."

Harry was looking through some boring paperwork when his secretary knocked on the door

"Deputy Chief, you have an urgent owl," she said, levitating a letter for him to catch.

"Thank you, Mrs. Potts," he said opening it immediately.

_Harry_

_We need to talk. Please come to my flat as soon as you can. Something happened and things between us may get complicated. Please come soon, it is hard to explain. And know that I love you, no matter what happens next. _

_Pansy_

Harry felt a chill run down his spine. They had been dating for only three months but he had made his mind about her already. He admired her desire to make up for her past actions and she could be both incredibly sweet and deliciously naughty, a combination that was driving him crazy. So much so that he had already bought a ring, and was carrying it on his pocket all the time, trying to keep himself in check so he would not blurt a proposal too soon and scare her away. But now this was throwing him for a loop. What could be so big of a problem that she would be thinking they may break up? He grabbed his coat and told his secretary

"Mrs. Potts, I have an emergency. Please tell the department to send me a Patronus if they need me urgently," and he ran to the floo. When he came out at Pansy's flat his heart was about to burst out of his chest. He looked around and saw her signal with a finger to her mouth for him to be quiet. He did a double take: there was a crib in the room.

He walked towards it, feeling somehow at ease with the strange situation. A beautiful baby boy was sleeping soundly in the crib. Pansy caressed the soft hair on the baby's head and Harry saw a soft glow between her hand and the child. Comprehension dawned on him and he reached with one finger to one of the baby's hands. The child closed it, holding him, and the blue glow enveloped them. He looked at Pansy, and she said

"It just happened. He has the ability to read people's' emotions and knows who would love him. Am I crazy for doing this?" she asked

He kept the finger hold with the baby and reached for her to pull her close and kiss her. Then he asked in a whisper

"Can I be a part of it?"

The next day at the end of the workday Hermione was rushing to the floo system at the ministry's atrium when she heard a familiar voice call her

"Granger! Are you going to Pansy's?"

"Yes! Do you know what's going on? Harry left suddenly yesterday and now he took the rest of the week off for an emergency. Do you know anything?"

"Only that Pansy said 'don't panic' and that they want to show us something," answered Draco and he grabbed her hand, pulling her with him into a floo before she could react.

They came on the other side, looking rushed and flustered, to find a very odd scene: Harry and Pansy were sitting on a blanket on the floor, laughing happily while a baby crawled between them and went to hold onto Harry to stand up. Then he let go and after wobbling for a few seconds he fell on his buttocks, giggling. The new parents clapped and laughed excitedly, praising the boy

"You are such a big boy, James!"

At that moment James noticed the strangers in the room. The two of them were standing by the floo, still holding hands, frozen. The baby slowly opened into a wide grin and stood up again holding onto Harry, but then he tried to take a step towards the newcomers, so he fell face forward. Hermione and Draco yelled at the same time

"Arresto momentum"

The baby was suspended in the air and in a very funny move tried to "swim" towards the couple. They ran to him, both of them helping him land softly. The baby squealed happily and turned to his parents as if to say "look who's here".

"Somebody better start explaining," said Draco, as the boy held one of each of their hands, bouncing excitedly.

"His name is James. James Sirius Parkinson-Potter," said Harry proudly.

"That is a mouthful, not an explanation," growled Draco. Hermione slapped him on the chest with the back of her hand. Pansy rolled her eyes and they all moved closer so she could tell them the whole story.

"I can't believe how easily he came to us," said Hermione. "Shouldn't he be more wary of strangers?"

Harry and Pansy looked at each other and smiled.

"We went out with him this morning to buy food and more baby stuff. Whenever someone tried to coo to him he will turn away his face and bury it in our shoulders. But we know that he has a rare ability to predict his future emotional relationships. He knows with certainty who loves him. It's like a form of legillimancy mixed with divination," explained Pansy. "That is how he found me and then he bonded to Harry immediately, even though he was asleep when they were together for the first time.

"Wow," said Hermione, who still got thrown for a loop when magical things were a bit too...magical. Draco was unfazed

"Magical bonds. He feels empathy and then creates the bond if he wants it, right?" said Draco. He had never seen something like this happen but it was not unheard of.

" my guess is you are now officially aunt Hermione and uncle Draco," said Harry with a smirk.

Hermione blushed but Draco felt kind of cocky about it. This kid was gonna be a great ally to him. He had been pursuing Hermione in a more obvious way after Harry called him to order and told him to stop messing around and being upfront with her. She, of course, had said that she needed to think about it. That had been over a month ago.

By now James had crawled on Draco's lap, so the blonde started to blow raspberries on the baby's belly, making him cackle loudly. Pansy elbowed Harry and pointed toward Hermione: the curly witch was watching the scene, mesmerized, head tilted to the side. Maybe this was what she needed: she needed to see that Draco could be a family man.


	4. Chapter 4

Harry Walked out of the floo to the most unexpected sight. Narcissa Malfoy was seated primly sidesaddle on a blanket on the floor, clapping sweetly at whatever James' current trick was. The baby turned around towards the floo and smile widely

"Dada!"

Harry came back from his stupor to step forward and kneel to receive his son, who was waddling towards him. He held him in a hug and kissed his head before turning to the surprising visitor

"Mrs. Malfoy. Hello. I didn't know you would be visiting. How are you?" he asked, feeling a bit awkward.

"Chief Potter, hello. I'm sorry when Eloise invited me to meet little James I assumed Pansy would be the one picking him up. I hope you don't mind. He is such a lovely boy, I am so happy he found such wonderful parents," she said sincerely.

Harry smiled. He had not seen her in years, but she had written him a letter on behalf of her family, apologizing and thanking him profusely for helping her and Draco during their trials. Besides, If Narcissa had James' seal of approval, she must be alright.

"Of course. And please call me Harry."

At that moment James broke the ice by pointing at Mrs. Malfoy and saying to his father

"Cissy! Tee!"

"Oh," said Harry, amused. "So this is aunty Cissy?"

Narcissa blushed but couldn't contain a smile. James happily added people to his extended family, and Harry suspected he could sense that there was a reason why this woman was family to him, so he opted for offering some clarification to help the older woman keep up with the child's extraordinary ability.

"And you know what James?, aunty Cissy is uncle Draco's mom"

James comically put his hands to his face, as if this was the revelation of a lifetime.

"Daco?" He asked, looking at Narcissa.

She gave a little laugh, fascinated

"Yes, sweetheart, Draco is my baby."

James clapped enthusiastically

"Daco baby"

At that moment Mrs. Parkinson walked in, bringing some pureed food for James that she insisted on preparing herself while a house elf popped with a tray of tea and finger foods.

"Harry, dear, I didn't hear the floo. Are you hungry?"

Harry approached the lady and kissed her cheek, then took the puree from her

"I'll have some of those delicious looking pasties after the little man eats. Pansy should be coming in any minute too."

Mrs. Parkinson smiled, face lighting up like a Christmas tree. She had great difficulty accepting Pansy's choice to move to New York and the fact that she wouldn't marry Draco Malfoy. But just as she had given up hope that her spinster of a daughter would ever marry any man of worth and give her grandchildren, Pansy hit the jackpot: she scooped the Chosen One and in less than four months they had created an instant family. Unconventional, for sure, but Harry had proposed quickly after they finalized the adoption of James, and the only reason they were not married yet was Pansy's own request to wait, she wanted to make sure Harry was in it for real. But anyone that could see him sitting in the drawing room of Parkinson Manor, feeding a toddler while chatting politely with Eloise Parkinson and Narcissa Malfoy would know he was all in.

Narcissa watched him feed the baby and sigh. She wished Draco would get with the program and give her a grandkid of her own to babysit. Then she had an idea

"Harry, can I ask you to be a little indiscreet?"

"You want to ask me about Draco," Harry said, chuckling.

"What in Merlin's name is that boy's problem?" Narcissa asked, her voice slightly raised, probably as close as the prim woman would ever get to exasperation. "How is it possible that he is not dating? Is he gay? Because if he is, that's fine, as long as he gets married and starts a family. I just can't stand the idea of him bouncing around life all alone," she finished with an exhale.

Harry couldn't help himself and laugh.

"Actually, his problem right now is not him. His problem is that he is in love with the most stubborn witch in Britain."

"He is not in love with Pansy, is he?" Mrs. Parkinson deadpanned.

Harry cackled loudly, startling James a little

"No, it's much worse than that. He is pinning after Hermione Granger."

The two Slytherin women gave silent "Oh" gestures.

"Well, that is indeed complicated," said Narcissa sadly, "Miss Granger has a lot to forgive before she can even consider him. At least I know she is civil to him. My poor boy. This is karma."

"Oh, no, no," said Harry, "on the contrary, I'm quite sure she is taken with him too. When I say she is stubborn I mean it, she is stubborn. I'm sure the problem is that she feels out of control around him."

The two ladies exchanged looks and Eloise said

"I think we can help. She may just need a peek of what her life with Draco could be."

Pansy arrived a little later and found them all chatting and laughing. James yelled

"Mama!"

She smiled and picked up her baby, then kissed hello all around until she got to her fiance and sat on his lap.

"What is going on?"

Harry giggled

"I think I got sucked into a Slytherin plot. Operation Get Draco Married."

"Finally!" she said, raising her arms. "We have been so busy with our relationship and then James that we haven't done anything to give those two a push. But it's been driving me crazy. I mean, how stubborn can she be? The man is slowly dying at her feet and she has doubts about his feelings? Give me a break!"

The other three laughed.

"Well,' said Eloise, "I think Pansy, Harry and I are about to get extremely busy. I do want to join the organizing committee for the Hogwarts Yule Ball, but I was going to decline because of James. And Pansy should provide lots of dresses for it, and Harry is a very busy man. I also think James is going to want to spend time with aunty Cissy, and who better to pick him up from her house than his godparents? And of course, since we are all so busy we will send redundant messages so both of them end up going to pick him up at the same time."

"Wow," said Harry, "this is making my head spin. Is this how it was in Slytherin house?" he asked, looking at Pansy.

"Please. This is nothing," said Narcissa, sipping her tea. "Lucius was supposed to marry one of those simpering cousins of mine, the Rosiers. We had to manage to get caught _in flagrante delicto _by my mother so Abraxas would force him to take responsibility."

"Agh! Too much information!' whined Harry.

* * *

The minute Draco and Hermione found themselves walking out of the floo of the elder Malfoys townhouse in London one right after the other he figured out something was going on, but he kept his thoughts to himself. He had learned that not all is fair in war, but he still believed all is fair in love. So he let Hermione get entangled in his mother's web. He made sure she stayed for dinner, with the excuse that Narcissa had not fed James yet. She was, of course, nervous, but the older witch made a passing comment about Lucius being at the manor working on some urgent estate business, so the Gryffindor princess would relax. She would eventually have to share with the wizard, but that could wait. And Narcissa had made sure that Lucius would behave when the time came. The elder Malfoy was lucky he got off with a three-year sentence in Azkaban and a year probation, and when he came back home he found Narcissa ruling with an iron fist, not willing to take any more nonsense from him. And she had warned him to not meddle in Draco's life anymore.

They had a pleasant dinner, the upcoming Yule ball giving a lot of conversation room. Narcissa reminisce of the balls she attended during her Hogwarts years and Hermione talked fondly of her experience of being escorted by the Durmstrang champion. Draco had to school his face to not sneer at the memory of a gorgeous Hermione walking into the Great Hall on the arm of Viktor freaking Krum, who was back the best Quidditch player in the world. Narcissa saw the darkening in his eyes and smirked. If he wanted this witch he better worked for it.

The second time Draco floo called his mother before the end of the workday and asked her to keep the baby and Hermione entertained a bit while he took care of some last minute work stuff, so Hermione was getting quite comfortable around Narcissa.

The third time, when the curly witch walked out of the floo, Draco was standing there, signaling her for silence and holding a laugh. Lucius Malfoy was asleep on an armchair, James sitting on his lap, leaning on him, and he had grabbed a handful of Lucius' long hair and put it on his head like a makeshift wig. She cast a muffliato so they could both barked out their laughter without waking up the man. They picked the baby carefully and sat for dinner. Lucius joined a bit later, excusing himself for falling asleep, being very polite to Hermione and sitting to eat completely unaware of the state of disarray of his hair.

About a week into the charade Hermione walked through the floo to find a female house-elf bowing low.

"Welcome, Missus. Young master James is gone, his mother came to get him a few minutes ago and Mistress Narcissa said that she and Master Lucius apologize but they had to go back to the manor. But they wanted to make sure Mimsy took care of Missus Hermione. Mimsy cooked dinner for you."

"Oh Mimsy, please, do not bother. I can just go home," she said, but regretted it immediately: the elf looked like she was going to cry. At that moment Draco walked in

"What is going on?"

Mimsy answered quickly

"Young Master James has gone home and the Masters are back in the manor but they wanted Mimsy to serve dinner for Miss Hermione, but Miss doesn't want Mimsy's cooking,"

"No, no, I'll stay, Mimsy, please, I just didn't want to bother you," Hermione explained, flustered

Draco hid a smirk and said

"Mimsy set the table for two. Miss Hermione and I would love to have a quiet dinner together."

Mimsy grinned widely and bowed before popping away. Draco offered his arm

"Shall we enjoy our dinner and not make my mother's elf cry?"

Hermione shook her head but smiled

"Of course. Lead the way, Master Malfoy."


	5. Chapter 5

After enjoying a decadent dinner, a beautiful witch and a handsome wizard were sitting on the plush rug of the Malfoy's townhouse library, a couple of glasses of wine on the coffee table.

"You can't be serious."

"I am."

"There is no way Severus Snape ever wore a tiki shirt. Ever!"

"It happened. I swear it on my father's hair."

Hermione rolled on the floor, laughing.

When she finally caught her breath and turned her head to the side Draco was lying next to her, his head perched on his hand, looking at her with obvious adoration.

"You have the most beautiful laughter. You always had. When we were kids it would make me angry to watch you laugh like this because it would never be because of me."

She looked at him intently

"You hated me."

"I wanted to hate you. Because I was not supposed to have you. And yet I couldn't stop myself from thinking about you."

She took a deep breath and reached with her fingers to caress his face

"The first time I saw you it was on the Hogwarts express. I was helping Neville find his toad. When I looked inside your compartment I thought you were the most beautiful boy I had ever seen. And I had an excuse to talk to you. For a second, I was actually happy the silly toad had run away."

"I'm guessing that was until I opened my mouth."

She chuckled

"Pretty much, yeah."

He moved slowly, gauging her reaction until he was positioned on top of her

"I am so sorry. For everything."

"You have told me so, many times," she said, cupping his face with her hands.

He lowered his mouth slowly to capture her in a deep kiss. She allowed it, wrapping her arms around him. After a while, he trailed kisses to her ear and whisper

"Stay with me tonight."

She was finally ready to surrender. She breathed her answer

"Yes."

* * *

"Good morning, Mistress."

Hermione sat up in the bed with a scream, scrambling to cover herself with the sheets and making the poor elf fall backward.

"Mimsy is sorry, Mimsy is sorry," the elf cried, covering her eyes. "Mimsy felt the pull of Mistress and thought she needed her Mimsy!"

Hermione was now awake but utterly confused. Draco, who was covering his face with his hands in exasperation tried to give a calm answer.

"Mimsy please leave us, we will call you when we are ready to be tended to."

"Mimsy is sorry, Mimsy is sorry, Mimsy felt the pull!"

"Yes, yes, we understand, Mimsy, now please, off you go, we will call for you soon."

The elf popped out and Hermione turned to Draco

"We do not understand. What was that about?" she asked, a little frisky.

Draco sighed

"House elves are the worst wingmen ever! They unceremoniously throw you under the bus."

Hermione's face still spelled confusion. He took a deep breath

"Please don't freak out about what I'm going to tell you. Is just a natural reaction for a house elf."

She still looked uncertain, but laid herself back on the bed, waiting for an explanation.

"You know of course that house elves are bonded to the family they work for. It is a symbiotic relationship. They tend to the needs of the members of the family and in exchange their magic feeds from the family magic, giving them strength and longevity."

Hermione tilted her head on the pillow, intrigued. He continued

"Their connection is so intense that they perceive the changes in the family structure. And many times they do so before witches or wizards know so. Mimsy is a female elf and she is currently unattached, meaning she takes care of the family but she is not anyone's personal elf. By default, she will connect to the next woman to join the family," he said, trying to measure her reaction to the news.

"So that means she would become the personal elf of…"

Draco waited for her to say it. She did not dare. He said it

"She will, instinctively, become the personal elf to my wife."

Hermione felt her heart in her throat. She asked, almost in a little squeal

"What is the pull?"

"The pull is what makes a person part of a family: the desire to belong. I have to own to the fact that Mimsy felt my heart's desire. No point in hiding it. I want you to be my wife."

He saw her trying to compose a response to counter and then saw comprehension dawn in her face.

"But she didn't pop in because you want me to be your wife. That wouldn't be enough, right?

"Correct," he answered with a smile. His brilliant witch would, of course, put two and two together.

"She came because she felt that I would want to marry you," she said, avoiding his eyes.

"Best proposal ever. A hundred points to Gryffindor," he quipped and peppered soft kisses on her lips and face.

"That was not a proposal," she tried to argue.

"Fine, have it your way," he said positioning himself on top and kissing her passionately.

"Isn't it too soon?"

"Right. Because you have only known me for about twelve years, seen me at my worst, forgave all my sins and let me court you for months now. We are practically strangers."

She chuckled and pulled him down for more kissing, wrapping her arms and legs around him. After a bit, he giggled and added

"You are upset because I'm the one who's right."

"Shut up, Malfoy," she said, making sure his mouth was too busy to keep talking.

* * *

It was a beautiful day in late summer when a group of friends and family got together in a lovely garden to witness the marriage of Harry Potter and Pansy Parkinson. The groom stood in front, carrying their beloved son in his arms, both of them wearing matching tuxedos designed by the bride. They both smiled as they watched the bridesman and the groomswoman walked down the aisle, arms laced. In the first row, Andromeda Tonks elbowed her sister, who was dabbing at the corner of her eyes while her husband kissed the hand he was holding, all of them obviously sharing the same thought: soon enough that couple would be walking the aisle the other way around. Eloise Parkinson smirked, proud of her matchmaking skills.

When the couple made it to the front Hermione kissed the groom, Draco shook his hand, and little James reached with his arms, asking to be held by them. Hermione obliged and as soon as she had him in her arms James produced a soft glow and gleefully yelled

"Baby!"

Hermione went beet red, Draco went paler than normal, Harry's jaw hung open and Narcissa Malfoy let out a little yelp. All the way in the back, the bride rolled her eyes and cast a disillusionment charm on herself. Leave it to her son to ruin her entrance by shouting the only piece of news that would outshine her wedding. She gave them all a few minutes, smiling to herself at all the fuss that James could cause by uttering one word. That kid had Gryffindor written all over him. She better get on with it and gave him a little Slytherin brother or sister before she found herself outnumbered. When the commotion seemed to calm down she ended her spell and made her glorious walk to the front. Harry's cheeks hurt from smiling so widely.

After the ceremony, Hermione and Draco had a brief talk, which consisted mostly on him peppering kisses all over her face and reassuring her that everything will be fine and asking if she would prefer an autumn wedding or a winter wonderland ceremony. They took a deep breath and walked straight to the table were Andromeda and Narcissa sat, James taking turns on their laps, while Lucius silently wondered if the kid would have a knack for the stock market too.

"Please, please, tell me it is true!" said Narcissa, for once in her life unable to restrain her emotions.

"I only started suspecting it yesterday," Hermione confessed, "I was giving it a few days before performing a pregnancy detection charm, you know, to see if anything was really going on."

"Oh, my, we have so much to do! I assume of course you would want the wedding to happen before you start showing so you can choose any dress of your liking, right?"

"Mother!" chided Draco, but Hermione put her hand on his.

"It's ok, Draco. I have two independent experts assure me that this is really happening," she said, thinking how first Mimsy and now James jumped the gun and put the cards on the table for her. No point in fighting it. Then she turned to Narcissa. "Yes, I think I would like to wear a beautiful gown before I look like a stuffed sausage."

Lucius snorted inelegantly. "Sorry. Funny image. An autumn wedding, then?" he said, composing himself.

"That would be lovely," Hermione answered, looking at Draco, who was gleaming.

In the center of the party, indifferent to what was happening around them, the newly wedded Mr. and Mrs. Potter were sharing a slow dance.

"Knut for your thoughts," she said.

He smiled

"It's just this strange thing keeps happening to me. Like my life had turned bland and boring and now it is all exciting and seems to come with a soundtrack."

In the background the lyrics of the song they sway to went

_Pretty looking road_

_I try to hold the rising floods that fill my skin  
Don't ask me why I'll keep my promise_

_Melt the ice  
And you wanted to dance so I asked you to dance  
But fear is in your soul  
Some people call it a one night stand but we can call it paradise_

"You know what, Potter?"

"What, Mrs. Potter?"

"I think I may be in love with you."

He leaned in to kiss her

"I think I may be in love with you too."

* * *

A/N: that's all, folks! I hope you liked it. Song: Save a Prayer, performed by Duran Duran. Songwriters: Andy Taylor / John Taylor / Nick Rhodes / Roger Taylor / Simon Le Bon


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